


Cake and Company

by Hambel



Category: The Professionals
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-17
Updated: 2012-02-17
Packaged: 2017-10-31 08:16:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/341908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hambel/pseuds/Hambel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's a special day that both partners remember, but it's not talked about.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cake and Company

Bodie sniffed the air appreciatively as he let himself in with Ray's spare key. Ray had been baking. Chocolate cake, if his nose wasn't deceiving him, and it hadn't let him down yet. He hoped it was a swiss roll. Swiss roll with lots of cream filling, enough to squelch out of the side when you took a bite.

"That you?" Ray called from the kitchen.

"It depends on which 'you' you're expecting," Bodie called back, hanging up his jacket and throwing the keys on the telephone table.

Ray's head appeared in the hallway. "Oh, it's you," he said, and disappeared back into the kitchen.

"Yeah, it's me," Bodie confirmed, following Ray. "And I'm all yours for the foreseeable. The Cow's given us a couple of days off." He rubbed his hands together enthusiastically and grinned.

"Dare I ask how you managed that?" 

Bodie tapped the side of his nose and tried to look all-knowing. He knew he'd failed when Ray gave that lop-sided grin of his.

"He wants us for something big when we get back, eh?" Ray asked, leaning against the table and folding his arms.

"Something like that." Bodie hadn't asked questions. He wanted to enjoy his unexpected time off without worrying about what might be waiting for them on their return. "What's that lovely smell?"

"Me."

"Yeah, if you like engine oil and swarfega." He held up his hands in mock-surrender as Ray straightened up, threateningly. "Which I do, of course! Alright... what's that _other_ lovely smell?"

"Surprise!" Ray moved to one side spreading his arms theatrically and Bodie now had a clear view of the table.

"Oh, Raymond, my son. Is that for me?"

A solitary swiss roll sat on a doily-covered plate set on the kitchen table. A chocolate swiss roll with chocolate icing and vanilla cream filling that was oozing out of the ends. Three candles perched precariously in the middle.

Bodie tipped his head. "Candles?"

Ray nodded. "Candles."

"On a swiss roll?"

"On a birthday cake."

"Ah." Bodie wasn't sure if he should form the question that was on his lips. He badly wanted to taste that swiss roll. Maybe he should just –

"What?" Ray barked.

Bodie jumped. "What do you mean, 'what'?"

"You've got that look of a rabbit caught in a headlight glare. I say again... what?"

Reminding himself that he was a big, tough CI5 agent and ignoring the voice that said so was the other bloke, Bodie said, "You know it's not my birthday until next month?"

Ray's eyes narrowed. "Are you sure?" he asked after a moment's uncomfortable silence.

"Yeah." Bodie watched for the twitch that would warn him Ray was about to go into one.

"Positive?"

"Got the birth certificate and everything."

Ray snorted. "You've got at least half a dozen different birth certificates and the same number of passports."

Bodie shrugged. "We live in an unpredictable world." He didn't need to say that two of the passports had Doyle's photo in them.

Ray gestured towards the table with his head. "What do we do with this then? It won't keep."

The danger point was past now that Ray was talking about the cake again. "Eat it?" Bodie asked hopefully. "There's footy on the telly in ten minutes."

Ray seemed to consider it. "Yeah, go on," he acquiesced. "But don't scoff it down in two seconds flat." He waggled his fingers in front of Bodie's face. "Worked my fingers to the bone, I did, baking that."

Bodie grabbed one of the waggling fingers and sucked it into his mouth.

Ray's eyes widened. "You don't know where they've been."

"I know where I want them to go, though," Bodie leered, lowering Ray's hand and leaning in for a hard, although brief, kiss which was returned with equal fervour. "But first," he continued, "cake!"

"Wait a minute." Ray rummaged in a drawer and took out a box of matches. "You need to blow out the candles."

"But it's not my—"

"Candles," Ray said firmly, lighting them. 

Bodie let out a long-suffering sigh, closed his eyes and blew out the candles.

"Did you make a wish?"

"What do I need to wish for? Got everything I want, haven't I?"

Ray grinned and handed him a knife. "Cut me a slice too, sunshine; I'll get the beers. You staying over?"

"Might as well." Bodie had no intention of being anywhere else. He knew what today was, too. "It's too late now to do anything else," he attempted to justify, even though it was barely seven thirty in the evening and they'd both just been paid.

They settled in front of the television to watch the football, side by side on the settee as in all aspects of their lives. Three years ago to the day, they'd settled down on the same settee in a different flat and had ended up in a passionate clinch, with naked limbs entwined and clothes strewn haphazardly around the room. There had been no declaration of true love or fidelity on either part, although the former was understood and the latter... well, appearances had to be kept up and sometimes sacrifices had to be made for Queen and country. On the anniversary of that day, though, they always sought each other out. There was no celebration or discussion of future plans, just the fact of being together.

And neither wanted to be anywhere else.


End file.
